During the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a large ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the canteen, where we picked up meals, found a table, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I consider applying for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but straight off explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where opportunities abound – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. Moreover, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that job in New York paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From cheering you up to transforming your future, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, keeping your details private if you choose. Your responses are secure, and are intended for the aim of this article.
